The County Line
Another Carmel landmark will pass from the scene next year when the city’s original fire station goes down. It will be replaced with a four story fire administration and Fire Buffs Museum building. The project will be financed by Clay Township, as part of its 19-part Community Impact Program designed to expand fire department and park system facilities.
The old fire station at 210 First Ave., S.W. was built nearly 70 years ago by what was then a volunteer fire department. It was the active fire headquarters until the 1980s when the present main station was opened on Civic Square.
Since then the old building, technically named the Donald Swails, Jr. Fire Station, has been home to the Carmel Fire Buffs Museum. The volunteer organization has collected and restored a number of early fire trucks and other firefighting equipment.
Originally it was hoped the building could be incorporated with the newly planned complex, but apparently it is not structurally able to withstand the addition of a second level and other changes being designed. The fire buffs are promised even more space in the new building than they have currently.
The new facility will go up on property owned by the city of Carmel, which includes the former utilities office and town hall, along with garages that once housed the street department.
The city and township have cooperated on fire services for many years with the township buying some fire equipment and facilities.
Construction on the new building will begin early next year and take an estimated 18 months to complete, says Fire Chief David Haboush. It will house all administration offices and will include the fire museum, a Survive Alive educational section and community room, all of which will make for “a world class” facility, the chief believes.
A portion of the front façade will be a re-creation of the face of the original fire station, using bricks and limestone salvaged from the Swails station. In addition to the historic façade, inside there will be a re-constructed office, dispatch center and dormitory room as part of the museum, in addition to space for the Fire Buffs substantial collection of antique fire trucks.
Meanwhile, the current fire headquarters on Civic Square will become entirely a fire station, upgraded to accommodate growing needs.